In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Justin True. Justin's story is truly remarkable. From growing up in a home with intense physical and emotional abuse, to becoming a professional MMA fighter, to pulling a 1.5 vehicle for a full-marathon, to completing a 24hr Hero Crossfit WODathon, to being kidnapped in Egypt and deported for being accused of spying for the government, getting attacked by a shark, and most recently completing the "True Triathlon" a country wide endurance feat, including a 50-mile swim, 3,000-mile bike ride, and a 600-mile run. Given that Justin does everything to the extreme, following suit, this interview is also a marathon, but we promise you the time will fly by.

Warning: This episode discusses suicide. If this topic is triggering, we encourage you to skip this interview. Help is available, call or text 988 for support.

We wrap the show with the reality TV shows we want to see come to fruition, the triple crown of things that give us unreasonable anxiety, and our brutally honest opinion about New York's Northville Placid Trail.

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Interview with Justin True

Time stamps & Questions

00:04:52 - Reminders: Join us for our live show in Austin, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon, and apply to blog for the Trek! And sign up for the Trek’s newsletter!

00:09:30 - Introducing Justin

00:10:17 - Why are you flying out to Florida?

00:14:15 - How long did the marathon take you when you were pulling a truck?

00:18:10 - Where do you get these crazy ideas?

00:23:50 - Tell us about your challenging upbringing

00:28:00 - Where do you think their anger came from?

00:31:30 - Was your mom aware of what was happening?

00:32:30 - When did you pick up fighting?

00:35:00 - Discussion about Justin’s parents

00:42:20 - Did your brother’s behavior change towards you after that?

00:43:25 - Have you thought about choosing a different path than your family?

00:46:30 - Did you work as an engineer?

00:47:40 - Tell us about fighting full time

00:53:25 - Were you ever afraid while fighting?

00:54:37 - At what point did you shift into more endurance related sports?

00:57:13 - How much cardio did you do while fighting?

01:00:00 - Do you have Type 1 fun while you’re struggling?

01:02:20 - Do you ever miss adrenaline while on long runs?

01:05:30 - Tell us the background of Cycle4Gaza

01:08:00 - Tell us about getting kidnapped in Africa

01:27:30 - Were you afraid at any point during this ordeal?

01:29:25 - Did you see anything you shouldn’t have seen?

01:30:35 - Tell us about setting the single person record for the Three National Peaks

01:37:00 - How were you working all this financially?

01:39:40 - Tell us about doing the Olympic Triathlon with a 90 pound hammer

01:42:45 - When did the kilt come into play?

01:50:58 - Did you fight a shark?

01:58:20 - What’s the heaviest you’ve deadlifted?

02:02:05 - Tell us about your 500-mile walk across Madagascar

02:16:34 - What were the highlights of Madagascar?

02:21:50 - Tell us about the 24hr Hero Crossfit WODathon

02:28:04 - Where did the idea for the True Triathlon come from?

02:31:00 - Discussion about the swim portion

02:34:30 - How big was your team?

02:39:00 - How are you so hard on yourself but see other people differently?

02:43:10 - Where does the poop go?

02:44:30 - Where do you start biking?

02:50:20 - Why did the swim coach stay until Houston?

02:53:00 - What does your mom think about all your adventures?

02:53:40 - What standout stories do you have from the biking portion?

02:59:40 - Justin’s plans for next year

03:01:25 - Discussion about falling asleep while swimming

03:05:30 - Discussion about the triathlon

03:22:00 - What’s the takeaway of being inspired by other people?

03:23:30 - What’d you feel when you finally finished?

03:27:00 - Tell us about Naked & Afraid

03:30:30 - Were you shy about being naked on tv?

03:33:00 - What were your takeaways from the show?

03:36:25 - What was the duration and the prize?

03:41:00 - Have you considered any more traditional endurance events like FKTs or the Barkley?

03:42:35 - Tell us about the runs you do while drinking beer

03:45:15 - Do you have any plans on slowing down?

03:48:00 - Where should people go to keep up with you?

Segments

QOTD: What’s a reality TV show you want to see brought into existence?

Triple Crown of things that give you unreasonable anxiety

Mail Bag

5 Star Review

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A 3,600 Mile Triathlon, International Kidnapping, and A Truck-Pulling Marathon with Justin True (BPR #299)

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